Spirited Away 2: Return to a World of Adventure
by top543lfl1q0ur
Summary: First section of an alternate continuation of Spirited Away. I own no part of this story. Please review :)
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own no part of this story.

Prologue

"What!" screamed Yubaaba. Chihiro had left just one month ago and still the bathhouse wasn't back to working order. All the workers seemed to be still reeling from the chaos cause by Sen. The frogs gossiped endlessly and the girls were in a state of mourning the loss of their friend.

"I have my true name back. I have paid the rest of my debt. I am freed from your contract. You can no longer control me." A level-voiced Kohaku stated, fists clenched, as he stood in front of Yubaaba's desk, watching her stand up from where she was sitting, her hair falling out of its bun as her temper rose steadily.

Kohaku didn't even flinch. His eyes once filled with hate and cruelty now blazed with love and determination."I made Chihiro a promise," he continued with a steely resolve, "I won't break my promise to her, not now, not ever."

"I raised you to where you are now!" Yubaaba's voice boomed and her nostrils began to flare "How can you do this to me! You stumbled in tired, sick and afraid. I gave you a job! I gave you power! And this is how you repay me? Why you insolent-" Yubaaba stopped speaking suddenly.

Fire burned from her nose and her hair was more wild than before, whipping around her head as if caught up in some unseen windstorm. Kohaku stared at her, with such defiance it radiated off him in irritating waves making Yubaaba nauseous. She would make him pay for this. She would torture him until he begged for work again. Only then would she decide wether or not to forgive him his treachery.

"How dare he do this to me? After all that I've sacrificed, after all that I've done. All of this over a scrawny, smelly human" she mumbled under her breath, replacing things in her office that we're broken and overturned by her wrath with a wave of her hand."Why Haku," she spoke loud enough for him to hear, "I don't know how much you thought this through... after all she is just a human, but 'here' you have everything you could ever need," the sugary tone of her voice made it clear that she herself didn't believe the words she was choking out. She sat back down taming her hair.

"I have made up my mind," Kohaku said.

"Very well, you may leave." She proffered, and put her right hand over her eyes as if she could rub away the stress he was causing her. "Before you go Haku, will you do one last favor for me?"

Kohaku, already at the door turned to face the evil woman who stole his name and now claims to have made him better. "Yes, ma'am?"He gazed evenly at her, nothing she could make him do would be worse than the past.

"Will you take this for me?" Without waiting for an answer she threw a glowing object at him, no bigger than a coin. He didn't have time to react as the light grew blinding and engulfed him completely. Soon, the whole room shined with this hazy blue light for no more than a split second. Yubaaba looked at what was left of Haku and an evil laugh that seemed to start small grew until it was the only thing to be heard throughout the entire bathhouse. The workers stopped their chatting and the maids turned from their crying.

A slow chill ran through the bathhouse and everyone began to work as the horrific sound rose to a crescendo then faded. It seemed as though things at the bathhouse would be returning to normal. Not for the better.


	2. Chapter 1: Reminiscing

Disclaimer: See previous chapter.

Chapter 1 Reminiscing

"Free me" the voice said. His voice was familiar, as if I'd heard it every day for the past eight years. He sounded weak, strangled. I don't know where I was, or when I was. I wondered idly if I was dreaming, or visiting a memory. It's dark, wherever I am, all around me. The dark pushes itself against me, suffocating me until I can't stand it. "Please," the raspy, ghost of a voice I once grew to trust. I searched around in the darkness to find the owner of this detached voice.

"Kohaku?" I whispered into the darkness. A sudden light appeared dazing me for moment. I put my hands up in defense as I try to regain my vision. The light began to dim and slowly I lowered my arms. I realized I was standing in a large tunnel. The arch was tall, more than twice my height, and the wind blew behind me, pushing me towards the person standing at the other end. A man, he seemed to be about my age, maybe a few years older. He had dark shoulder-length hair, so black it was almost blue. His eyes though, were what really got me, even standing as far away as I was I could see his eyes were a piercing aquamarine. An overwhelming feeling of security and recognition flooded through me and I ran towards him. As I ran closer though, I noticed something about him was off. His white uniform looked stained and dirty, and his eyes up close were depthless filled with fear and pain. Not the happiness and laughter I remembered. "Kohaku!" I called, and he seemed stunned as if he'd only just seen me. He started running towards me; his mouth opened and formed words I couldn't hear. Suddenly, his head whipped back as if pulled by an invisible rope. I stood there dead in my tracks, my heart hammering against my chest, and despair pooling in my stomach. I watched him grab at his neck. I didn't need to be able to hear to know that he was screaming in pain. Tears sprung to my eyes, but something told me I couldn't go any closer. I had to help him, but my feet wouldn't budge even an inch.

He fell to his knees behind the invisible soundproof wall, and his mouth formed my name. Chihiro, it was almost as though I could hear him in my thoughts.

"I'm coming Kohaku, I'm coming" my voice coming out much more frail and hopeless than I'd imagined. "I'm coming!" I screamed sitting up.

Free me. The words echoed through my head. I've been having that dream as long as I could remember, each night it was almost the same, save for the fact that Kohaku was tormented a different way, and his clothes became more dirty and threadbare.

My sheets were sticking to my skin in an uncomfortable way. I bring my knees into my chest and rest my head there as I cry. Oh Kohaku, I think, there really isn't much I can do for him where I am. I sit here for a while, slowing my breathing, and reasoning with myself. What were the chances that what she dreamt was even true?

_"I'll see you again someday."_

_"You promise?"_

_"I promise."_

Someday.

When was someday coming?

He promised but we were only children. Even if my dreams were glimpses of the spirit world, would I be able to return? I traveled that beaten path time and time again only to find the building gone, covered by forest. And if I could, would I want to. It was hard on my family... coming back from the spirit world, a world of gods and witches and dragons.

The last time we had been gone for three months. I was a shock to my parents; they didn't remember becoming pigs, or any part of the spirit world. I think that it was better for them that way. They wouldn't believe me about it at first, but they just kept asking each other, "What did happen?" I still doubt they believe me, mom swears we were drugged and dad just ignores that it ever happened. When we got back, they had pink slips from their jobs. The house had been foreclosed and all the bank accounts were frozen. The locks hadn't been changed, and we walked in to find all out furniture and boxes sitting in heap right there in the entryway. The whole town expected we had run away, dropped off the grid. Who could blame them for gossiping? 'You can' my subconscious whispers. Yes, my feelings had been hurt, but there was no car wreck. There weren't bodies or any ransom notes; the gossip was bound to occur. I only wish that the ugly rumors had stayed out of my school life.

At first everyone was interested in me; they wanted to know where we had been, and what had happened. They crowded around me at the lunch table bombarding me with questions while they traded fruit roll ups and gushers. I thought I had a chance at making friends, but the more questions I answered, the more people started avoiding me. They whispered behind my back while I walked down the hallway. One day I opened my locker to find hundreds of paper birds, the kind I once saw chasing Haku, each one had an insult written on it. Of course, they were all unoriginal. The terms "Freak" and "weirdo" hardly bothered me, even then. In fact, those words made me stronger they gave me a thicker skin and a fighting chance. I was no longer the girl who was quick to cry or run from my problems. I am proud of who I've become, and if I wanted to give those kids the time of day, I would simply thank them. It wasn't easy I stayed invisible for my first two years of high school before joining the art club. I liked it because the teachers were funny, and the students didn't talk to each other, we just worked on whatever project we wanted for our portfolios. Finally senior year came to an end; I accepted my diploma and made plans to go to Haverford University in Pennsylvania; I would be moving there in a matter of months. My real dream though, would be to go back and live in the spirit world. No one would miss me, well, maybe my parents, but they're safer here, as humans.

I miss my friends, I miss Kohaku. Maybe I am crazy. For eight years I've tried willing my time in the spirit world to be a dream, but I was never able to fully disprove it, I had my hair tie, and far too many memories.

I refocus my eyes on the driveway outside my window; I trail my eyes towards the mailbox. I raise my hands and I place my palms on the glass and watch as the cool night air clings to my heat through the smooth surface. I look up at the storm clouds gathering. The wind is wildly ripping the leaves from where they cling to the trees. Lightning starts to flash outside so bright it lights up my entire bedroom. I reason that this is what truly woke me from my sleep, the storm. I can feel it in my bones. This is why I had that strange dream. I climb back into bed and cover myself with my comforter, curling up into the smallest shape I can manage I lull myself into a restless sleep.


	3. Chapter 2: No News Is Good News

Disclaimer: Look at chapter 1

SAK00: Haha, glad you like it, hope this was soon enough :)

Chapter 2: No News Is Good News

I open my eyes to see the cracks in the floorboards. Hanging halfway off the bad is not entirely comfortable so I pull myself up. It's still dark outside, I look at the clock, 5:30. The storm outside settled down finally. It's Saturday, so there's no way I am getting up at this hour. I close my eyes and start to drift.

"Ah- uh-" my eyes spring open, I stay in my bed, frozen, but alert.

"Ah- uh- uh-" it's coming from the corner of my room. Quickly I sit up, and scramble awkwardly out of bed. Hitting my knee I sink to the floor from the impact.

"Ow." I say as softly as I can manage. Rubbing my knee, I look up. There standing in the darkest part of my room, is the last person I ever thought I'd see. "No-face?" I ask.

"Ah- ah-" his mask is happy and he sounds excited. I run over to him.

I open my mouth to begin asking all the questions I'm dying I know the answers to. Everything about Lin and Haku and the bathhouse. The questions all get caught in my throat because No-face looks anxious. "I-is something wrong?"

"Uh- uh." Nodding his head.

"Why are you here? Did Zeniba send you?" I asked swallowing my fear and worry. Again he nods.

"What's wrong? Is it Lin? Is Kohaku alright? What's wrong, what's happened?" tears start prickling my eyes. Oh, I wish he could talk anywhere outside the bathhouse!

He isn't going to answer my questions. He begins disappearing by backing up towards the wall, leaving me with all my unanswered questions. "Don't go," I beg. "Please I-" I reach into the shadows my hand finding only the smooth wall.

Turning around I look outside my window. The storm has been finished for at least an hour now. a thick fog clings to the air, making it difficult to see past my yard. Even still I see leaves scattered everywhere, and even a few branches.

I have to go back, I think to myself, Granny wouldn't have sent No-face if it wasn't important.

I rush over to my closet pulling out clothes and solidifying my resolve. I quickly change out of my pajamas, pull on my most comfortable pair of jeans and a purple tee shirt. I walk over to my dresser and look in the mirror. I see a plain girl, brunette, thin, but her normally dull brown eyes are alight with excitement, and her cheeks are flushed with color. I reach into one of the many small containers on my dresser, retrieve the hair tie made by my friends and pull my hair back.

"Keep it with you. It will offer you protection. Remember, it was made by your friends."

Grabbing socks, I pick up my light blue hoodie, nap sack and put those on as I rush out my bedroom door.

_Okay_, I think,_ I'm ready_. I start my silent descent towards the kitchen taking my time to be extra quiet around my sleeping parents.

I find a small notepad in the kitchen and scrawl a quick note so my parents won't worry.

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_Please don't worry about me. I've left for the spirit world. I have to help _

_people there. I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't look for me._

_I love you,_

_Chihiro_

As I walk out the door I suddenly remember something. My ID. Without it I will completely forget who I am. If that happens Yubaba will own me, and I'll never be able to come home. When I reach the kitchen again, I destroy the carefully organized drawers looking for my ID. When I find it, I put the card in my front pocket. I run downstairs to the basement, leaving the mess I made, not bothering to look back. I scramble in my bag for the house keys and close the door careful not to let it slam behind me.


End file.
